The Boundaries of Science
by Ardeth Silvereni
Summary: A story about Brizon, in the more serious style of the LEXX movies. Although the Supreme Bio-Vizier had a hand in many projects on the Cluster, his ultimate goal remained as elusive as scientific perfection: immortality.
1. Prologue

The LEXX series and all related characters belong to Salter Street Films. Elements of this story were inspired by the excellent Darrow Files on the WordWrights: Lexxplorations website.

**The Boundaries of Science**  
- by Ardeth Silvereni

**- Prologue -**

Brizon walked to the wide window of his lab, and surveyed the many bright lights of the Cluster gleaming in the darkness. From up here, in the primary towers of the Bioscholar division, the view was quite breathtaking. Airborne transporters ferried workers from building to building, and searchlights pierced the night sky. Billions of people, on a relatively small planetoid, all functioning in unison, like a perfectly engineered machine, or a colony of insects.

_Colony of insects._ That description struck Brizon as faintly amusing. The human species had defeated the Insects millennia ago, yet eventually came to imitate them mindlessly. He doubted there was a single creative thought left in the minds of those below him. Creativity and _inventiveness_ - these qualities were all too rare, and they were the only things that held any value for him. Clearly the Divine Order also valued such things, as the Bioscholars were allowed ample room to live and work, while menial guards had sleeping compartments the size of boxes. Space on the Cluster was a commodity, and allocated according to an individual's usefulness. Brizon, the Supreme Bio-Vizier, was _very_ useful. He allowed himself a small smile as he gazed towards the main docking bay, far to the left of his vision.

The smile faded. Within days, the planet-killing warship - the Foreshadow - would be returning, and His Divine Shadow would resume his distant interest in Brizon's experiments. His Shadow's hold over the Cluster never waned during his absences, but his scrutiny was easier to ignore. The latest Parablood tests were proceeding well, but it would be a while before Brizon would officially declare the results. He would not rush science for anyone.

The large viewscreen in the laboratory beeped twice, distracting Brizon from his thoughts, then flickered into life with a crackle of static electricity. "Supreme Bio-Vizier, come in..." a shaky voice ventured from it. "Supreme Bio-Vizier - "

"I'm here, fool." Brizon slid into the chair in front of the screen, and casually adjusted the picture by twisting a dial on the control panel. The _boy_ on the other side of the communication was a recent graduate from the chemical sciences division, and new to Brizon's staff. He was understandably nervous to be speaking to the famous Bio-Vizier - a mistake in relaying his message could cost him his career.

"Supreme Bio-Vizier..." The graduate swallowed and slowed his voice in an attempt to sound vaguely professional. "Our sub-department received word from the Foreshadow five minutes ago. They meant to contact you, and will be redirected to your viewscreen within seconds."

"Then I suggest _you_ leave my viewscreen, so I can receive their call," Brizon commented dryly. The graduate broke the connection with a quick, pitiful apology. _Speak of the devil..._ Brizon thought cynically. What had the Foreshadow's mediocre scientists found this time? An interesting rock, perhaps? The screen beeped again, and Brizon sat up straight, purging the sarcasm from his expression as the new image formed.

"I worship His Shadow." He said briskly, with the customary gesture. "What can I do for you, Foreshadow?"

"I... I worship His Shadow." The warship's communications officer was unprepared for the swift response, and he took a few moments to compose himself. "Supreme Bio-Vizier, we are contacting you according to His Divine Shadow's orders. Expect a cargo transport to arrive within the next seventy-two hours. The cargo _must_ be preserved until His Shadow returns to the Cluster."

"And what is this cargo?" Brizon inquired.

"Frozen organic material, Supreme Bio-Vizier."

"I assume that the Foreshadow will be delayed, seeing as you are sending me this cargo now?" Brizon looked directly at the officer. He appeared a little flustered, as if unsure how much information he was allowed to share. "Well...?" Brizon pressed.

"The Foreshadow has sustained damage... _minor_ damage to the Control Pod." The officer corrected himself. It will be repaired in a few hours, but we have orders to take a longer route back to the Cluster."

That was interesting. Damaged ships usually opted for shorter routes, but Brizon had better sense than to ask why a long route was needed in this case. That would be openly questioning His Divine Shadow's motivations - a dangerous, and unnecessary path to tread. By virtue of his post, he had access to most military files, and with simple code manipulations his security clearance was unparalleled. It was easy to follow the Foreshadow's journey whenever he wished.

"I understand." Brizon gave the officer a curt nod of acknowledgement. "May His Shadow fall upon you."

"May His Shadow fall upon you," the officer echoed, and signed off.

Brizon immediately opened a remote link to the Foreshadow's onboard records. After a glance, he sat back in his chair, feeling distinctly unsatisfied. He would have to sate his curiosity later - the inefficient captain hadn't yet entered the return co-ordinate sequences. It was too soon to learn the warship's intended path home, and that little bit of elusive knowledge frustrated Brizon greatly. He usually placated an unreasonable craving for information by returning to his personal experiments, but it was late, and he was only mortal, after all. He wanted something simpler to lighten his mood. He would settle for seeing where the warship had been. Deftly, his nimble fingers tapped the keypad in front of him, bringing up the Foreshadow's log. The viewscreen scrolled a list of co-ordinates, then stopped as the most recent destinations were displayed at the top.

_X axis 9-5.0273, Y axis 27.17150  
X axis 9-2.7992, Y axis 32.63551  
X axis 9-6.4571, Y axis 38.44752  
X axis 8-6.3422, Y axis 29.32003  
X axis 8-3.9523, Y axis 33.01060  
X axis 8-1.2288, Y axis 35.56742  
X axis 8-1.0216, Y axis 37.75232_

The Bio-Vizier gazed thoughtfully at the data. The organic cargo he was awaiting must have been collected recently. It would be a game to guess its nature and place of origin before it arrived. _X axis 8-6.3422, Y axis 29.32003?_ That was familiar. Corodell Eight, if he recalled correctly. A fairly advanced planet, but a tedious one ruled by a jaded inbred monarchy. He would not miss it.

One by one, he identified the Foreshadow's targets. Half a dozen dull planets, entirely forgettable, entirely useless.

Brizon finally looked at the top record in the log, the location of the last planet to be destroyed by the warship's weapon. He recognized those co-ordinates too, but his recollection was hazy. He did not like the associated sense of unease that was beginning to creep over him. That made little sense, unless the planet was worth something to him...

"Computer?" Brizon asked, his voice sounding unnaturally loud in the cavernous open space of the lab. The organic-looking, dark metal surfaces did not dampen it in the slightest, and he was privately pleased by the effect. "Computer, which planet is located at co-ordinates X axis 9-5.0273, Y axis 27.17150?"

"Goo... Good Evening, Supreme Bio-Vizier," the tinny voice stuttered. "The planet at co-ordinates... X axis... 9-5.0273... Y axis... 27.17150 is... Brunnis 2."

"Only mortal..." Brizon muttered darkly. He stared blankly at the screen for a while, then severed the remote link with a heavy sigh.


	2. Chapter One

**The Boundaries of Science**  
- by Ardeth Silvereni

**- Chapter One -  
The Brunnen-G**

It was a chilly afternoon when the cargo transport arrived, but Brizon was at the docking bay to meet it, and to supervise the unloading. As the freezing unit was moved to his lab, he followed it, regarding it with a mixture of mild dread and cautious optimism. His Divine Shadow had specified his intentions for the contents three hours earlier - it was to be used as raw material for the Assassin programme. The guards pushed the unit into the central examination room of the laboratory, and then left. Brizon activated the cooling system from the keypad outside, and the extraction fans began to turn in the ceiling. Within seconds, the temperature in the room was suitably low, and just above freezing point. While living flesh could be thawed for initial observations, it was preferable to keep dead material cold. Decomposition had to be delayed for as long as possible.

The cargo was a corpse, certainly, and Brizon hoped for two things from it. One, that it was Brunnen-G, secondly that it would have significant mutations to the normal human cell structure. His Shadow's insistence for its preservation was encouraging. A possible key to the secrets of human immortality... It was no surprise that the Supreme Bio-Vizier was to treat this specimen with the utmost care. There would be no more - Brunnis 2 was a lifeless husk, and the Brunnen-G had been reluctant to leave their world under any circumstances. This behaviour, designed to protect their race, had unfortunately assured their extinction. _And if this specimen is flawed... or too young..._ Brizon frowned. If that was the case, then his one tangible hope of escaping mortality and death had just perished with the Brunnen-G civilisation. Their knowledge of immortality was gone forever, save for a few scarce records. He would not mourn the people, but he would lament over their lost wisdom. His studies and trials would be set back by years, if he ever managed the feat at all.

"What vexes you _Bri_zon?" A strongly accented voice suddenly interrupted the Supreme Bio-Vizier's musings. It was Mantrid's. The pronunciation of Brizon's name was unmistakable - the speaker over-emphasised the first syllable, drawing it out. Brizon personally hated the sound of that accent, but that was to be expected. After all, he detested most things about his pupil. His assistance was useful, but entirely unwelcome. Mantrid was here only because the task at hand was too large for him to accomplish alone.

"Nothing, Mantrid." Brizon replied flatly. "Shall we begin?" Mantrid nodded once - slowly. Brizon noted his student did not waste effort on showing enthusiasm for his work. Of course, the large helmets worn by the chief Bioscholars did not make movement of the head easy. Even dressed for surgical work, both Brizon and Mantrid insisted on keeping them as indicators of their status. "After you." The Supreme Bio-Vizier opened the door to the examination room, and let Mantrid enter first. No courtesy was involved in the act - Mantrid could test the water, so to speak. If he was freeze-dried by a malfunctioning conduit inside, all the better.

No such luck.

Brizon sniffed, and joined him. The door sealed behind them, and there was a faint click as it locked into place.

* * *

"_Multiple_ fractures of the spinal column, severe _internal_ bleeding... The heart may not be salvageable." Mantrid read back the results of the primary scan. His lip curled into a sneer of disgust, which became more and more noticeable as the list of problems increased. Brizon's expression was unreadable, although he too was disappointed at the poor state of the corpse. The damage was not limited to one or two minor injuries, and there had obviously been a delay in storing it, as dark blotches were already evident on the torso. Only some of these could be attributed to bruising. The heart had been deliberately sliced open, presumably by His Shadow. Brizon had seen this kind of 'sacrifice' before. It had been the cause of death, but the other wounds would have been fatal regardless.

Despite these shortcomings, the specimen was certainly from Brunnis 2. The Brunnen-G, particularly the males, had been flamboyant in terms of appearance and attire. They favoured brightly coloured outfits, and kept their hair long, winding most into a distinctive bun, braiding what remained. The traditional hairstyle had stayed fashionable and unchanged for millennia. Although he appeared fairly youthful, it was impossible to guess the age of this one. He could be thirty or three thousand. It was taking all of Brizon's patience not to perform a cell profile. He wanted to avoid piquing Mantrid's interest in his extracurricular pursuit of extended life, but that was surely inevitable now. Mantrid was far too astute. Brizon would be deluding himself if he believed otherwise.

"The _last_ of the Brunnen-G." Mantrid spat. His accent increased somewhat when he was annoyed, though it always had a sing-song quality to it, his voice varying in pitch from word to word. "If His Shadow wanted a _trophy_, he could have been more _selective_, with a whole _world_ to choose from. It will take us _days_ just to complete the _repairs_."

"You show your ignorance, pupil of mine." Brizon's tone was misleadingly calm, and one of lofty weariness. "You must be aware of the Brunnen-G's reputation; their glorious military past. It would have been in His Shadow's interest to neutralise them quickly. I am surprised we even have this." He leaned forward, and parted the gaping chest wound with his scalpel. "The sternum is cracked, but intact. The knife penetrated the heart from between the left ribs." Brizon straightened again. "We will have to remove it entirely, it is not worth saving... The left lung can go too. It will give us plenty of room for the central biomechanics."

"We should discard the heart, even if it _could_ be adapted. The _artificial_ pump will be more effective to feed the Protoblood into the body," Mantrid raised an eyebrow questioningly. "_If_ you have perfected the design?"

"Perfected? Only time will tell..." Brizon patted the corpse's arm. "But we can monitor our friend's progress for as long as is necessary. I want him to have all the upgrades we have been planning. The new microsystems, self-diagnostic capabilities, everything. I like him. He will be the first of our next generation of Divine Assassins." _I like him_, Brizon thought, _and I will like him even more if he can teach me how to live forever..._ There was much truth in this. Brizon had studied the Brunnen-G civilisation for many years, appreciating their genius, and also amused by their inherent lunacy. One characteristic often fuelled the other in humans. What other race would have chosen to destabilise their sun in order to protect their planet from attack? The Brunnen-G had done this during the Insect Wars, and although they eventually left Brunnis, their stabilisers had kept the planet inhabitable for a good while, and were probably still functioning. The Bio-Vizier smiled. It felt almost like a form of payment. In exchange for eternal life, Brizon would make this Brunnen-G's _un_-living existence as successful as it could be.

_... And what if he's a 'newborn', and just a normal human who can teach you nothing? What will you do then?_

What, indeed? The unpleasant thought rose yet again, causing a small wave of panic to spill over him. Closing his eyes for a moment, he quickly pushed the idea out of his head, and focused on his work.

* * *

The corpse was that of a 'newborn' Brunnen-G.

Brizon did not sleep much, nor at conventional times. When he was younger, he needed only two hours out of every twenty-four. Age had caught up with him a little, and doubled that. Tonight, however, his mind was too troubled to let him relax, even though his body was exhausted. Away from the lab now, in his private chambers, Brizon was going through his library. Several thousand data-filled disks - normally meticulously ordered - were disrupted, many scattered, others piled into uneven towers.

"Elvie," he said irritably. "Search for all records relating to Brunnis 2, priority given to records made by Supreme Bio-Viziers Savritz and Turo." He knew that his own diaries had nothing of use, but some of his predecessors might have observed more during their employment. He had hoped it would be unnecessary to call upon their 'wisdom'. He found their pompous tomes boring and uninspiring. Now he had little choice.

"Three records exist, Supreme Bio-Vizier." Brizon's own computer, LV-970 had a female voice, sultry, seductive and one he had chosen himself. It was thankfully less prone to unnatural pitch and tone fluctuations than the lab computer's. She also had the curvaceous body and mannerisms of a wanton temptress. It was a shame that she was only a holographic simulation of a woman (albeit a very good one), but any female company was preferable to none. Her current outfit was a short, skin-tight dress - one of his favourites. It showed off her long legs.

"Details, Elvie?"

Elvie leaned provocatively over the back of an armchair, folding her arms and making her breasts even more prominent. For once, Brizon didn't even notice.

"Record one, by Savritz: _On the unprecedented relocation of a whole civilisation from the Dark Zone to the Light Universe_. Shall I continue, Supreme Bio-Vizier?"

"No. The next record?"

"Record two, by Savritz: _On the withdrawal of the Brunnen-G from universal politics and commerce_. Shall I continue, Supreme Bio-Vizier?"

Brizon sighed, impatient and aggravated. "What is the third record, Elvie?"

"Record three, by Turo: _On the Brunnen-G and human immortality. The possibility and precedents_." She paused for a moment. To a casual observer she would have looked thoughtful, but computers didn't work that way. They didn't think - they _processed_. "The record is encrypted. Level twelve - to be viewed only by the current Supreme Bio-Vizier. Shall I continue, Supreme Bio-Vizier?"

"Yes. He nodded. Encryption usually meant that the data was sensitive. More specifically, when level twelve encryption was used, it indicated that there was some reference to His Shadow - a controversial reference that could have cost the author his life. His Divine Shadow was a fascinating subject, and fear alone could not blunt the curiousity of brilliant scientists; they just took extra care when noting their findings.

The holo-woman stood up straight, and flashed Brizon a broad smile. "_It seems strange to many that the Brunnen-G civilisation has become _less_ open and accessible since they abandoned the Dark Zone, choosing a new home in our universe of Light. Since they severed all ties with other human life, we outside of Brunnis 2 have had to content ourselves with speculation and rumours regarding the development of their culture. Among the more interesting of recent rumours are those that speak of human immortality, eternal life in the body one was born with..._"

Brizon held up his hand, and Elvie immediately ceased her recital. In his records, Turo had always used ten words to explain something where one word would do. He should have been a poet or playwright - not a Bioscholar. "Skip to the precedents." He said.

"_A few distinct precedents can be identified._" She continued. "_The first of these originated in the Insect civilisation. It is known that the Insects had the ability to transfer their soul and memories - commonly referred to as their Insect 'essence' - between physical forms. This practice could plausibly allow an Insect to achieve a form of immortality. By endlessly transferring their essence, their living consciousness, to younger host bodies, an Insect need never die from ageing. This of course depends on the 'lifespan' of an Insect essence, but many scholars have speculated that souls, human or Insect, are eternal. It is only the flesh that has such limitations and decays over time._"

"_Ageing is only one obstacle to overcome in the pursuit of endless life. A body may suffer an untimely demise, and it can occur without warning. We know from history that the Insects were driven to extinction during the Insect Wars. Their brand of immortality clearly could not protect them against unnatural death through injury. However, there are also accounts from the Insect Wars of mature Insects abandoning their injured bodies in favour of stronger, healthy ones. At the battle of Tripoint..._"

He again signalled for Elvie to stop. The Insects could transfer their essence because their species had Transduction organs. That had come about through millions of years of evolution, and with no living Insects to study, Brizon had no hope of synthesising an equivalent organ for humans. That said, the Insects' ability _had_ manifested in humans. One human, at least... "What does Turo say about His Shadow?" he asked.

"_It would be foolish to explore the possibility of human immortality without acknowledging His Divine Shadow. The Divine Order's clerics have always claimed that His Shadow is everlasting and ageless - a living deity. This description is sufficient for most ordinary, weak-minded people. However, scientific fact and religion often conflict. The rational minds of scientists cannot readily accept the fantastic beliefs of the faithful. Risking accusations of heresy, several Bioscholars and other academics have privately expressed doubts that such an individual, such a _human_ could exist. There is a popular notion, far too dangerous to voice publicly, that the devout clerics raise and tutor children from birth, intending that they should become the next His Shadow, and reinforce the myth._"

"Yes. Very dangerous," Brizon murmured, snidely. "I hope that wasn't the extent of Turo's insight?"

"_After many decades in the service of His Shadow, I do not share their opinions._" Elvie said, not registering the interruption. "_I have witnessed that His Shadow does age, and so he must die. In fact, I am fairly certain he _has_ died, once during my lifetime, and countless times before. But unlike the sceptics, and still in conflict with the Divine Teachings, I believe that His Shadow is reborn periodically through a process similar to the Insects' essence transfer. Our ruler is the same Divine Shadow who founded the Order, in a new body - not some individual who has simply been schooled to _act_ like His Shadow. I recall detecting a marked change in His Shadow between two of my frequent meetings with him. His voice sounded younger, and he appeared to walk without the slight hunch I had become familiar with. The improvement was permanent, as far as I could tell. I would have sworn I was speaking with an impostor, except for his intimate knowledge of my old and current projects._"

"_Somehow, His Shadow is capable of replicating the natural ability of the Insects, or something similar. I am at a loss to explain how this could be achieved, as I cannot safely question the clerics, and their practices are shrouded in secrecy. Considering the limit of my knowledge in this matter, I cannot see how the Brunnen-G could have exploited this precedent in their own hunt for immortality._"

Brizon pondered for a minute or two. Turo's record seemed crude with far more pretty language than real content. His findings weren't really questionable, but they were badly dated and lacked any detail. Even if there had been detail, this was turning into another dead end. The Brunnen-G had explored essence storage and transfer, influenced by the Insects, and abandoned that path long before leaving the Dark Zone. He decided against hearing Turo's thoughts on the Brunnen-G's 'Burst of Life' process as a failed precedent. He'd studied that enough himself, and his own file was probably far better.

"That will be enough for tonight, Elvie." He said. She gave him a wistful look of disappointment as she faded into nothingness, as if she'd hoped for something more from him. Even if she had been a real woman, Brizon _just might_ have rejected her on this occasion. He was finally resigned - if he wanted a key to immortality, he'd have to find his own. Maybe it was worth running experiments with new Protoblood derivatives? Whatever, the next few days and weeks would be particularly busy and tiring for him. He had a dead assassin to decarbonise.


	3. Chapter Two

**The Boundaries of Science**  
- by Ardeth Silvereni

**- Chapter Two -  
Big Bugs and the Art of Planning Ahead**

The Foreshadow had been back at the Cluster only thirteen hours, delayed far longer than expected, even including the detour. His Divine Shadow stood tall, with his hands clasped in front of him, and his back to Brizon. The guards that usually flanked His Shadow's audience chamber had been dismissed, and the Supreme Bio-Vizier was kneeling in a small pool of light in the darkness. His head was bowed, but his spine was straight. Brizon was too important to be forced to kneel on all fours; a small mercy considering the dull ache that was gnawing at his right shoulder. He had strained it, stubbornly refusing to leave work on the Brunnen-G assassin to his subordinates. He had even excluded Mantrid towards the end. It had taken a month, but the process was now complete, and not a day too soon, it seemed.

"I want Ring Torbin eliminated." His Shadow said. His voice was very soft and slow - the voice of an older man - but it commanded all of Brizon's attention. "He is an irritation I will no longer tolerate."

Ring Torbin was a rebel leader, based a planet called Phebee 27. He was not only hated by the Divine Order; most of the Heretics couldn't stand him either. The Foreshadow had attacked the planet a year ago, and Torbin had been mistakenly presumed dead. Recently, his characteristic raids on the fringe of the Order had begun again with renewed vigour. Searches encompassing thirty galaxies had failed to locate him. Had that changed? Brizon couldn't see how he could assist if not. He could not provide enough Divine Assassins for a manhunt on that scale.

"Do we know where Torbin is, Divine Shadow?" He asked respectfully.

"He never left his planet of origin." Brizon could detect a distinct note of annoyance rising in His Shadow's measured tone. "Torbin buried himself in the core of the planet, and the Foreshadow was inadequate to destroy him. It is obsolete, and must be replaced with a weapon that will not fail."

_That's why I was summoned?_ Brizon thought, a little surprised, and a little annoyed. The Foreshadow wasn't very old, perhaps only twenty years, and it was still devastatingly powerful. Besides, Bioscholars didn't work on military vessels. The damned things didn't have any biological components, and he had better things to do with his time. Biting his tongue, he buried his resentment deep, knowing full well that he couldn't protest. "You wish me to design this weapon?" He offered. There was nothing else he could say.

"Yes..." It was almost a hiss. "An Insect."

Brizon paused, exploring the possibility. An Insect craft _would_ have biological components. In fact, it would be a living ship, enhanced with mechanical parts. This request was no coincidence, he saw that immediately. Perhaps obliterating Brunnis 2 had reminded His Shadow of Brunnen-G inventions. They pioneered adapting Insects to human technology.

"You will also create a new type of assassin." His Shadow said. "That will be your first task." Obscured by his hood and robes, His Shadow's form seemed featureless and inhuman, and he was all the more imposing because of it. Not for the first time, Brizon wondered idly what the man beneath actually looked like. "Send Kai to Phebee 27. It will be a worthy test of your craftsmanship so far, Bio-Vizier. Then you will produce an _Executioner_, capable of destroying him and any other Divine Assassin."

"As you wish, Divine Shadow." Sensing that their brief meeting was concluded, Brizon gave a nod of acquiescence as he climbed unsteadily to his feet, and departed.

* * *

In his lab, Brizon prepared his charge for duty.

_So your name is Kai? Such an old-fashioned Brunnen-G name..._

It had been particularly popular during their early recorded history, if he remembered correctly. He also approved of Kai's attire. It had turned out well - a black replica of the bright suit he had died in. It would be the new standard uniform for Divine Assassins, if Brizon had anything to do with it. Which, of course, he did. It was as resistant to damage as the assassin's decarbonised flesh.

"It makes you look quite handsome." Brizon said, with amused admiration. The assassin did not respond to the compliment. He just stood there, utterly compliant and impassive as the Bio-Vizier made his final checks. Brizon carefully pushed the newly-sharpened brace back into the drum affixed to Kai's right arm. Then he removed the Protoblood feed tube from Kai's chest implant, and covered it again, replacing the fold of material. He made a mental note to replenish the lab's supply of the substance, as it was nearly all gone. The hand-held Protoblood vat was unusually light.

"Who do you want me to kill, Supreme Bio-Vizier?" Kai intoned. Brizon suppressed a wild urge to volunteer Mantrid as the first target instead of Torbin. He couldn't help grinning at the idea. Kai was a work of art, a marvel of biological engineering. Unstoppable. Mantrid wouldn't stand a chance if the assassin was sent after him.

_I, however, would._ Brizon thought, with satisfaction. He gazed down at his pendant. It bore the symbolic icon of the Divine Order in blue enamel. Long ago he had acknowledged that a Divine Assassin could one day hunt _him_, if he was ever seen as more of a threat to His Shadow than an asset. He had taken steps to protect himself in case such a day arrived. The pendant was one of several devices he had fashioned. At close range it could trigger an override in an assassin's neural microsystems, allowing Brizon to regain absolute control. He had also found an enzyme that could temporarily neutralise Protoblood. He would have to ensure that his precautions worked for the new Executioner as well.

Brilliance was simply the art of planning ahead, after all.

His Shadow might have adopted a similar philosophy of late, although what he was planning against was not clear. Brizon hadn't been expecting the Executioner project. It was completely unnecessary, in the Bio-Vizier's not-so-humble opinion. A waste of effort. If an assassin malfunctioned, it did not matter. They would soon exhaust their limited Protoblood reserves and lose animation. And if Brizon had guessed incorrectly, and malfunctions were not the issue, what was? He did not believe His Shadow could feel personally threatened by the Divine Assassins.

_Unless His Shadow knows something I do not._ Brizon considered. He would have to look into that later.

The project also had the tedium of _been there, done that_. He would have preferred something original that stretched his imagination and intelligence to the limit, rather than building on areas where he was already an expert. There was not much satisfaction to be had in re-inventing the wheel.

With wry humour, Brizon noticed his own contradiction. Designing the new planet-killer would be something original, yet given the opportunity he would have refused point-blank to do it. Experimenting with Insect tech did appeal to him, though. Warming to that challenge, his active mind started to play casually with a few ideas. He would need to move away from the cobweb-shaped energy blasts - they weren't strong enough, penetrating only a few metres into a planet's crust.

_Torbin managed to escape the Foreshadow by hiding in the molten core of his planet, so my vessel's weapon would have to reach that..._

_... Raise the core's temperature enough to incinerate a hidden base?_

_... Raise the temperature enough to ignite a chain reaction in the core that would cause the whole planet to explode?_

"What do you think, Kai?" He asked rhetorically, playfully. "Is it really possible to grow an Insect that can blow up a planet? I think it could be..."

The assassin remained expressionless and silent. It was almost frustrating.

"I know, I know. _You_ don't _think_ anything." Brizon muttered. It was a shame really, to see the great Brunnen-G reduced to this single, stoic representative. He turned away, and set the small Protoblood vat down. He realised he had allowed himself to become distracted. "We had better get you to the docking bay, my friend." He said brightly. "We both have lots of work to do."

He was in a good mood.

* * *

"Supreme Bio-Vizier!"

Brizon heard the shout as he was leaving the docking bay, cringed, and increased his pace. The young chemical sciences graduate caught up anyway. His enthusiasm to meet his hero hadn't been blunted by the curt response he'd received a month ago.

"Oh, it's _you_." Brizon said, throwing him a withering glare. "What do you want?"

"Well... you remember I liase... with the Foreshadow's scientists for my sub-department?" The graduate was breathless. "They called me to examine... something they have in cold storage."

"And?" Brizon prompted.

"I've never seen anything like it." The graduate inhaled deeply. "They tried to tell me it's parts of an Insect ship, but - "

Brizon smiled to himself. This was getting better and better. Now he would have samples of _successful_ Insect tech from the outset. He hadn't known that the Brunnen-G still used such craft - it had to be Kai's - but what a stroke of luck. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "I will deal with it. Return to your normal assignments."

* * *

Decades passed as Brizon worked on both of his major projects, and many minor ones. A prototype Divine Executioner was produced fairly quickly, although extensive redesigns were needed before the Executioners could bring down a Divine Assassin every time.

Their main advantage over the Assassins was Parablood, and Brizon had introduced it into their construction from the beginning. It allowed an Executioner to enslave and control all humans in the area, giving it a self-made army to overwhelm an Assassin. That approach was effective in most situations, but not all. Brizon recalled Kai's first mission - to remove Ring Torbin. He had killed 2,807 men with robot controlled ion weapons, before reaching Torbin himself. Quite a feat. An army of humans had not been sufficient to stop him then. That was why Parablood was backed up with other improvements.

The Executioners had greater strength and speed, ensuring they always defeated an Assassin in one-on-one combat. Their brains had been modified, but they retained more of the parts related to emotion, and were programmed to thrive on hunting and killing. They existed for it, and _loved_ it, whether their prey was an Assassin or a mere human. It gave them an edge, intensified by an insatiable thirst for Protoblood.

His Shadow now commanded about six hundred Divine Assassins, and five Divine Executioners. Undoubtedly those numbers would increase over time. Kai continued to be Brizon's favourite Divine Assassin, though every time Brizon reanimated him, it reminded the Supreme Bio-Vizier that he wasn't getting any younger. He was prolonging his life with various drugs, but he still had to find a more permanent solution. So much work to do on that, and no chance to do it... He would have to seriously consider retirement, as much as the thought of it irked him. Mantrid becoming the Supreme Bio-Vizier in his place? _Pah!_

The planet-killer project was progressing less well, and was very far from completion. Brizon had examined record after record, and the stark truth remained - the Brunnen-G had never managed to engineer an Insect craft that would be big enough. He had been able to clone 'Stinger' Insects from the debris of Kai's ship, but they exhibited severe genetic defects if tried to make them much larger. He had been forced to experiment on other, tiny species, increasing their size gradually through selective breeding. It was a very slow process, but a particular type of moth was showing promise. Dragonflies were next on his list of small insects to try. Realistically, _Insects_, like the intelligent creatures that fought in the Insect wars, were fundamentally different from _insects_, the domestic bugs he was using. He knew that was the root of his problems.

Another few years trickled by. Brizon decided they would be his last in the service of the Divine Order. He turned down requests from other departments, or passed the jobs on to other Bioscholars. He concentrated on his Insect vessel, and on a private personal invention. He spent all his time on one or the other. Mantrid caught him in the lab one evening, working on the latter.

"What are you playing with _Bri_zon?" He asked.

"Haven't you got something to do Mantrid, rather than bother me?" From a high lift platform, the Supreme Bio-Vizier gazed down disdainfully at the other man. Mantrid was his student no longer; he was a competitor, always waiting in the wings for his day to ascend into greatness. Well, he would get his chance soon. Brizon tossed the tool he was using to the floor, just missing Mantrid's head. It clattered noisily.

"Dear _colleague_, so spiteful..." Mantrid said, as if stung. "I only came to offer my services."

Brizon groped blindly for another tool. They were laid out on top of his large, metal ship-like device, out of his line of sight. He had to distinguish between them by touch. He found the one he needed, and proceeded to use it, ignoring Mantrid entirely. Hopefully he would go away, and not pry too deep. This invention was important, incredibly so, and Brizon did not need Mantrid's interest or interference. Not now.

Brizon had never been ill in his life, then a painful sickness had seized him unexpectedly. He was only just recovering properly. He suspected Mantrid's involvement; the virus was not prevalent in the League of Twenty Thousand, and unheard of on the Cluster. Additional synthetic elements he had noticed made him particularly suspicious. The Supreme Bio-Vizier had to treat himself, clutching his stomach in agony, and unable to stand. The virus had the potential to be fatal, and it had reawakened all his half-buried fears about his own mortality. He was terrified.

Death had many downsides, but it was the inevitable lack of conscious thought, of _self-awareness_, that scared Brizon more than anything else. Oh, he would miss the sensual pleasures of the body, but he did not prize them above his intellect. He snorted. Alright, he hadn't engaged in sensual pleasures for a long time, but at least the _possibility_ was still there, for the moment, at least. This device, if it worked, would allow his mind to survive after the death of his body. It was loosely modelled on the Brunnen-G's 'Burst of Life', but unlike that process, where life essences were simply stored, this machine would let his essence remain active and fully conscious. The _machine_ would become his body, until he had an alternative form to inhabit.

_If_ it worked...

* * *

Brizon had held the rank of Supreme Bio-Vizier for eighty-four years when he retired, quietly and without fuss. No one knew he was going; it was safer that way. Brizon didn't really want to end his illustrious career in the Protein Bank. Disillusioned and tired, he finally abandoned his 'Vessel for Thoughts', incomplete and flawed. Realising that someone else, possibly Mantrid, could develop it further, he considered destroying it. He didn't, but he introduced a bug into its system instead. Like his Divine Assassins and Executioners, he wanted to have ultimate control over this creation - the power to shut it down for good if the need or fancy struck him.

He left behind his plans for a huge dragonfly vessel, with a weapon powerful enough to destroy a planet with a single shot. He had thought of everything. It would be controlled by a single biological key, which would live inside its captain. It would contain a chamber for the growing of smaller space-faring vessels. These Moths, intended for use over short distances, would be tended to and maintained by humans adapted for that sole task. Cluster prisoners would be suitable for that, once all unnecessary brain material and organs were removed. It would also have cryogenic facilities.

He even gave it a name. He called it the _Lexx_.

As Brizon got into a Stinger he had made for himself, the only thing missing was an enzyme, a single biochemical catalyst. He had invested years of painstaking work in identifying it, and he was taking it with him. Without the enzyme, there was no way to grow a dragonfly larva into the city-sized vessel the project demanded. It was his insurance. It was also a last defiant act against his former pupil. Mantrid would _not_ get the credit for Brizon's greatest achievement.


End file.
